ACF Launches U.S. Campaign on Fresh water: "March for Water" Takes Place in Manhattan, New York

Action Against Hunger / Action Contre la Faim (ACF), internationally recognized for its leadership in providing therapeutic feeding and water in emergency situations, hosts a "March for Water" to spur an American dialogue on a desperate situation.

The "March for Water" is on World Water Day, March 22. The March will begin at Chelsea Waterside Park 11:00 AM and proceed East on 23 street, North on 8th Ave, and then West on 42nd street to Bryant Park. The March will be an international march with people from around the world - in a tribute to the millions of women and children that walk a long way to bring a small amount of water "home."

"Home" will be Bryant Park and participants will gather at one o'clock for speeches by participants and international water experts.

The "March for Water" is an important action because the international water statistics are daunting: the United Nations reports in 2003, "the Year of Fresh Water," that over 1 billion have no access to clean drinking water and over two billion have no access to sanitation services. As populations continue to grow the demand for water will exceed availability. The water crisis is not just a problem for developing countries; it affects the United States as well. From California to New York water problems and shortages are affecting Americans with unsanitary drinking water and forcing family farms to fold due to skyrocketing water prices.

The "March for Water" is part of a series of events for World Water Day going on worldwide to educate people about the world crisis of water. In Kyoto, Japan, experts are meeting at the Third World Water Forum to try to find solutions and raise awareness to the world's scarcity of clean water. At Action Against Hunger, we believe that education and preparation for dealing with the scarcity is the solution to dealing with the water crisis. Marching forward as a unified country and as a unified world, we can focus on a solution to this looming crisis without conflict.

Founded in 1979 to address the most severe form of malnutrition-acute malnutrition-Action Against Hunger works in over 40 countries to save lives through therapeutic feeding, access to clean water and safe sanitation practices, and expertise to develop sustainable food production.